About The Downing Family Foundation

At the end of the day, it’s really all about taking care of each other. Everyone at some time in their life needs a little advice, some assistance or maybe a helping hand. The Downing Family Foundation seeks to partner with organizations that share in the simple value of helping others - especially those who are less fortunate or unable to help themselves.

The foundation supports programs that impact the quality of life for a community or a significant number of community members on a lasting basis, focusing specifically on projects that lead to self-sufficiency and future success.

The foundation favors initiatives within Kansas and in the following areas:

Community development and enrichment

Services to the disadvantaged

Children's causes

Early education

The arts

To be eligible to apply for a grant, your organization’s request must fall within one of the areas listed above and the organization must be tax-exempt or a non-profit requesting funds for charitable purposes.

The foundation will consider requests for the following:

Operating expenses

Endowment funds

Capital causes

Multi-year grants (although one-year grants are typical)

The foundation will not consider requests:

From government, political, legislative, or lobbying entities

For specific physical, medical or psychological conditions

From individuals, social or fraternal organizations

From faith-based organizations

For medical research

To fund for-profit organizations

The Downing Family Foundation does not fund institutions that discriminate on the basis of race, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation in policy or practice.

If your organization is seeking funding for a project that falls within one of the areas listed above, the foundation welcomes you to begin the grant request process by clicking the “Apply For Grant” button below. If your need does not meet the guidelines, the foundation would still like to offer you encouragement and wish you success in helping others in your own way.

"I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being,let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again." ~William Penn